In the past, portable air tanks have been proposed which afford the user an easy means of transporting compressed air to a location remote from an air compressor. A portable air tank may be used for a variety of applications, such as inflating low or flat tires and inflating recreational items, such as inflatable sports equipment, inflatable swimming pool toys and the like. The tank is also useful in applications, such as cleaning small appliances and operating small air tools.
Portable air tanks are typically charged (i.e. filled with compressed air) at the air compressor to a desired pressure and stored for future use in a shop or a vehicle. The portable air tank may remain unused, but in a charged state, for an extended period of time. During this time period, moisture from the compressed air in the tank condenses and collects in the base of the tank. Consequently, the user should periodically drain this condensation from the tank to prevent rust and corrosion of the tank's interior.
However, often users fail to drain the tank in a timely manner and consequently the interior of the tank rusts and corrodes. As the walls of the tank corrode, they weaken and this weakness coupled with the air pressure within the tank creates a potential for leakage and possibly rupture. Tank failures, resulting from this type of neglect, create a serious safety hazard since tanks filled with air (for instance to 110 psi) may explode quite violently, thereby projecting shrapnel throughout the surrounding area. This potential problem is further aggravated by the fact that users are often quite unaware of the amount of tank corrosion, and thus unable to gauge the extent to which the tank wall has been compromised and the likelihood of a rupture. The users are unable to visually inspect the corrosion since the condensation is inside the tank and the tank walls rust from the inside out.
The need remains in the industry to overcome drawbacks heretofore experienced and discussed above. The present invention is intended to meet this need.